Van Thomas Barfoot

The President of the United States of America, in the name of Congress, takes pleasure in presenting the Medal of Honor to Second Lieutenant (Infantry), [then Technical Sergeant] Van Thomas Barfoot, United States Army, for conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of life above and beyond the call of duty on 23 May 1944, while serving with Company L, 3d Battalion, 157th Infantry Regiment, 45th Infantry Division near Carano, Italy. With his platoon heavily engaged during an assault against forces well entrenched on commanding ground, Second Lieutenant Barfoot moved off alone upon the enemy left flank. He crawled to the proximity of one machinegun nest and made a direct hit on it with a hand grenade, killing two and wounding three Germans. He continued along the German defense line to another machinegun emplacement, and with his Tommy gun killed two and captured three soldiers. Members of another enemy machinegun crew then abandoned their position and gave themselves up to Sergeant Barfoot. Leaving the prisoners for his support squad to pick up, he proceeded to mop up positions in the immediate area, capturing more prisoners and bringing his total count to seventeen. Later that day, after he had reorganized his men and consolidated the newly captured ground, the enemy launched a fierce armored counterattack directly at his platoon positions. Securing a bazooka, Sergeant Barfoot took up an exposed position directly in front of three advancing Mark VI tanks. From a distance of 75 yards his first shot destroyed the track of the leading tank, effectively disabling it, while the other two changed direction toward the flank. As the crew of the disabled tank dismounted, Sergeant Barfoot killed three of them with his Tommy gun. He continued onward into enemy terrain and destroyed a recently abandoned German fieldpiece with a demolition charge placed in the breech. While returning to his platoon position, Sergeant Barfoot, though greatly fatigued by his Herculean efforts, assisted two of his seriously wounded men 1,700 yards to a position of safety. Sergeant Barfoot’s extraordinary heroism, demonstration of magnificent valor, and aggressive determination in the face of pointblank fire are a perpetual inspiration to his fellow soldiers.